Monday, August 26, 2013

Panozzo's Renovation Coming in Early September

Have been meaning to drop a line to Sloopin’ for a while because I have feared that the
changes at Panozzo’s Italian Market would lead to confusion and misconceptions about
the business. My fault. We appreciate and respect the ownership that Sloopin’ and its
followers take in the South Loop, so let me spell out what is happening and why.

Many things have changed for Panozzo’s in the past two years, but one thing hasn’t.
Our philosophy is, and will always be, chef-driven with locally sourced, house-made and
high-quality ingredients. The food we make ourselves will always be the most important
thing we do at Panozzo’s.

The menu has changed to reflect that, which means many of the “options” that existed
before simply don’t exist. We are not trying to force-feed the public our interpretation
of “the perfect sandwich,” but we have put a lot of time and effort into creating
sandwiches and dishes that are unique to Panozzo’s. The description in my blog entry
earlier in the year spells that out, so I won’t rehash it here. http://www.sloopin.com/2013/02/panozzos-raising-bar-in-2013.html

That said, I don’t disagree that we have done a poor job of redefining ourselves for the
neighborhood. That problem will be remedied shortly after Labor Day. To accommodate
additional seating, we have had to eliminate some coolers to create space to put in public
restrooms. We have ordered new furniture, but don’t want to install it until the final
buildout is completed. We will be closed for several days early in September, and when
we re-open we promise to be the final and best version of Panozzo’s!

As for our identity, someone suggested that we decide if we are a deli or a restaurant.

We will be both, but in a very defined way. We will be a quick-service, sit-down
establishment, and the menu will be set. In that respect Panozzo’s will be a restaurant.

We will also maintain retail offerings, like our housemade sauces, hand-pulled
mozzarella, fresh and frozen pasta, gelato, and a great selection of salumi, prosciutto,
house roasted meats and artisanal cheeses. In that respect Panozzo’s will be a deli.

Many factors have impacted Panozzo’s business model, mostly in a positive way. DDD
certainly brought in many visitors from foreign lands…like Logan Square and Wicker
Park…and forced us to become more of a sit-down market.

And while we are thankful for that, make no mistake that our favored clientele is our
neighbors in the South Loop. We live in the South Loop. We love the South Loop. And
we appreciate your continued support and your patience and understanding as we have
evolved.